Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical and electronic circuits and systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to electrical and electronic circuits and systems for providing electrical stimulation therapy.
Description of the Related Art
According to a study initiated by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, nearly 1 in 50 people in the U.S. are living with paralysis. Paralysis is a loss of muscle function in one or more muscle. The principal methods for treating paralysis typically include surgery, use of a brace, anti-inflammatories and/or pain medication, and confinement to a bed.
The potential of acupuncture in the restoration of motor control in cases of paralysis has been established. In a seminal meta-analysis work, Naeser devised a scale that included categories of “improved,” “markedly effective,” “essentially cured” and “cured.” (See Acupuncture in the Treatment of Paralysis Due To Central Nervous System Damage by Naeser M. A., published in J Altern Complem Med. 2 (1): 211-248.) Across a number of studies of paralysis due to head injury where acupuncture treatments were applied, the author reported 83.2% of cases at the markedly effective level or better.
With the introduction of electro-acupuncture additional potential has been recognized. In a study of seven patients with peripheral nerve damage, Inoue et al. applied direct current electroacupuncture proximal to the site of injury and reported levels of improvement in cases of paralysis due to neurapraxia and axonotmesis. (See Direct Current Electrical Stimulation Of Acupuncture Needles For Peripheral Nerve Regeneration: An Exploratory Case Series by Inoue M, Katsumi Y, Itoi M, Hojo T, Nakajima M, Ohashi S, Oi Y, Kitakoji H. published in Acupunct Med. 2011, 29 (2): 88-93.) Ding et al showed that electroacupuncture promotes survival and differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and functional improvement in spinal cord-transected rats, and Huang et al showed that electroacupuncture promotes an increase in oligodendrocytes and myelination and functional recovery in the demyelinated spinal cord. Additionally, the success of the NIH/Reeves study confirms that electrical stimulation can indeed influence paralytic states. (See Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells And Electroacupuncture Downregulate The Inhibitor Molecules and Promote The Axonal Regeneration In The Transected Spinal Cord Of Rats, by Ding Y., Yan Q., Ruan J. W., Zhang Y. Q., Li W. J., Zeng X, Huang S. F., Zhang Y. J., Wang S., Dong H., Zeng Y. S., published in Cell Transplant, 2011; 20:475-491. [PubMed]; An Experimental Electro-Acupuncture Study In Treatment Of The Rat Demyelinated Spinal Cord Injury Induced By Ethidium Bromide, by Huang S. F., Ding Y, Ruan J. W., Zhang W., Wu J. L., He B., Zhang Y. J., Li Y., Zeng Y. S., published in Neurosci Res. 2011; 70:294-304. [PubMed]; and Effect Of Epidural Stimulation Of The Lumbosacral Spinal Cord On Voluntary Movement, Standing And Assisted Stepping After Motor Complete Paraplegia: A Case Study, by Harkema S., Gerasimenko Y., Hodes J., Burdick J., Angeli C., Yangsheng C., Ferreira C., Willhite A., Rejc E., Grossman R. G., and Edgerton V. R., published in Lancet. 2011 337 (9781): 1938-1947.)
Recent work by Xin Geng, et al shows electro acupuncture contributing to a proliferation in neural stem cells, decreasing the levels of inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-6 and IL-10), and an inhibition of the Notch signaling pathway normally induced by spinal cord injury, thereby allowing repair of the injured spinal tissue. (See Electro-acupuncture in the Repair of Spinal Cord Injury: Inhibiting The Notch Signaling Pathway and Promoting Neural Stem Cell Proliferation, by Xin Geng, Tao Sun, Jing-Hui Li, Ning Zhao, Yong wang, and Hua-Lin Yu, published in Neural Regeneration Research March 2015: 10 (3):394-403.)
However, to date, no focused, integrated system or protocol has been proposed to apply electroacupuncture, or any other art, to a paralysis patient to functionally reverse the paralysis. Various methods and styles of application of electro acupuncture have shown varying degrees of success as documented in the literature, however the literature does not supply a defined protocol for reversing paralysis.
Hence, a need remains in the art for a defined system and method for reversing paralysis.